The rigorous use that playground architecture endures requires materials over-engineered for durability. Using sustainable materials such as wood is usually done at the expense of lifespan which is drastically reduced.
By using these materials in their living form a play set can become self-repairing and functional for a lifespan that can last hundreds of years with proper maintenance. Given such a lifespan these frames would become an integral part of community’s identity as functional and individual sculpture that spans generations of use. The variety of species and growth patterns that can be accounted for using the adaptable geodesic base allows the ARBODOME to exist in a variety of spaces and adopt many guises.
The creation and maintenance of the frame creates lasting employment for local artisans by utilising techniques such as willow weaving and arbosculpture via the process of inosculation. The precedent for these processes is established and proven in practice rather than theory.
Due to the potential for a five-year lead time and high labour costs a degree of foresight is required in regards to purchasing the frame. This points to a shift in attitude that is required in terms of our desire for objects, foregoing immediate satisfaction for a relationship that cultivates a culture of care and maintenance.
The direct contact between children and nature that is created through the ARBODOME fosters an intimate relationship with nature that play sets have aimed to reproduce artificially, whilst forgoing the health and safety risks that existing natural forms have suffered from.
